Party planning

I've become slightly obsessed with planning Alexa's party. I've had a theme and colors picked since January. I've had a guest list written up for months and I even started making decorations a month ago. In my free time I like checking out party planning websites and I stalk the pictures just to brainstorm ideas. I've always loved throwing parties but celebrating this little ones first year of life has brought my party planning to another level. Last month when I started cutting things out with my cricut I was excited to be making things. This month I do it with a bit of a sadder face. It's so hard to believe that she's really going to be one. When I was doing things so far in advance I felt better about it all because I knew I was going overboard and doing everything super early. Now I know I really need to get on the ball so the closeness of it all is starting to scare me. It seems like just yesterday I was getting her dressed and ready to come home from the hospital. All of the emotion is just still so fresh in my mind. I remember the pride I had as I walked her in the stroller down to pick up Abby and Nathan from their last day of school. I remember how excited they were to see her for the first time outside of the hospital walls. They had this "can't believe she's actually ours" look on their faces. We pulled together as a family in those first few months and it made us all stronger. The love we all share for her is a common thread in everything we do around here. She has made us all happier. I can't wait to see what this next year brings. I'm sure in another blink of my eye I'll be writing another post but then it will be about her approaching 2nd birthday. I hate to even think it!

I'm kicking myself in the butt these last few months as I've been a real slacker with her baby book and even just updating her calendar has become a task. She's doing new things and making news faces and sounds everyday it's just become so much harder to record. She's just a ball full of silly energy. Most recently she's been a real scaredy cat. Anytime someone opens the front door she stops what she's doing and quickly scrambles to a standing position and tries to climb up off of the floor and onto the nearest person. She'll grab and reach for you until you reach down and scoop her up. Loud noises scare her. Quick and sudden movements get her scrambling also. A total goofball I tell you! This past week I had been giving her whole milk in her sippy cup in the morning since her spitting up had become almost nonexistent. Well that all took a turn for the worse on Friday night at Nathan's boy scout banquet. I had been letting her snack on just about anything small enough for her to eat. As we neared the end of the night I let her have some of my oreo cake. Not even five minutes later I was wearing half of it down my jeans. She had thrown up all over herself and my pants. And this wasn't just a baby formula pukey smell. This was a full grown manly tummy yucky smell. Sour milk to be exact! I just about threw up in the hallway cleaning her up. To make a long story short...she hasn't had milk since. I am however hopeful that she does not have a milk allergy. And I guess I should leave you with happy thoughts of my bundle of joy. One of her newest tricks is by far my favorite. She has become a dancing queen! Anytime music comes on the TV or even if Nathan busts out a beat Alexa and her booty are shaking. If she's no where near something to pull herself up with she crawls like lightening to the nearest piece of furniture so she can pull up and bust a move. I laughed so hard yesterday I actually had tears streaming down my face.

Ok. Well of to dreamland for me. It's already 1:30am. I have to be up in 6 hours to get the rugrats ready for school. Oh yea and hopefully we'll get a few good 11 month photos in.